Shopping for a Turkey

Shopping for a Highlander #1

by Julia Kent

Shopping for a Turkey features Scottish football player Hamish McCormick and Amy Jacoby as they navigate unusual cultural norms around American Thanksgiving, new traditions, and the undeniable attraction between these two characters who have been featured as minor players in Julia Kent's New York Times bestselling Shopping series.

It's their turn to pull the wishbone. ;)

Genres: Romance, Thanksgiving, Contemporary, Holiday, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Sports

188 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2021

About the author

Sign up for my newsletter at: https://jkentauthor.com/newsletter/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 5 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire in a rom com).

She also writes romantic suspense as Meli Raine, sexy shifter romances as DJ Jennings, billionaire shifters as half of the author team Diana Seere, and co-authors with Elisa Reed.

She lives in New England with her husband and three children in a household where she is the only person with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by:

Email at jkentauthor@gmail.com

Twitter @jkentauthor

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor

Instagram @jkentauthor

Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

FORTHCOMING:


Love You Again (Love You, Maine, #2), July 19, 2022

Ten First Kisses (anthology with my story, Shopping for a Booty Call), August 12, 2022

Love You More (Love You, Maine, #3), October 11, 2022

Love You Now (Love You, Maine, #4), January 3, 2023


Author photo credit: Felix Rust http://www.felixrust.com

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am getting old and reading about killer abs and strutting bums felt a bit tiresome.

[Lauren Buth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm glad this book was short.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the same problems every time I reach the end of one of the Shopping series titles: my sides hurt, my eyes are puffy, my brain is a jumbled mess, and I have no words left. I adore that we finally get to see this one-of-a-kind family through Amy and Hamish’s eyes. Ever since we caught the first spark between these two, I’ve been dying to know more. This wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Amy has more snark and sass than I guessed, and Hamish is deeper and more complex than we’ve been able to see. The chaos of a Jacoby family holiday is always fascinating to see in action, and this Thanksgiving was no different. It’s filled with match-making relatives, out-of-control animals, precocious toddlers, nosy octogenarians, and just the general mind-bending impossibilities that happen when this cast of quirky characters get together. When all’s said and done, the ending here takes a sharp turn that makes me more desperate than ever to know what’s going to happen next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.

[Katie Hutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was short and on theme for Thanksgiving next week. It was cute to an extent, but honestly, the writing was a tad too cringy for me.

[Laura Reads Too Much · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say, Julia Kent has once again added to the Shopping Series with a smasher of a read!!!!

This is Amy & Hamish's story (part 1!) and Hamish ends up at the Jacoby's for Thanksgivings Dinner. If you have read any of the previous books then you know what madness to expect. If you haven't and this is your first read, damn you're in for a treat!!

Think of anything that could go wrong....and it does! With endless laughs along the way as well as a family dynamic that you aim for! A home filled with nutcases and love!

I loved it, seriously just loved it!!! So can't wait for the next one!!!




*I voluntarily received an arc and this is my honest review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have adored the entire Shopping series and now we have Amy and Hamy's... as with the others there are laugh out loud moments and cringe-worthy ones, chemistry-fueled tension, and plenty of crazy Jacoby family antics mixed in with the McCormicks. My only complaint is that we have to wait to find out what happens next for Amy and the hunky Scottish baller... will they have the necessary epiphanies to end up together? And what about Carol and Terry? So many exciting things yet to come for these crazy families. Julia Kent has done it again... one of my favorite authors!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story with a flirty Scottish soccer player, Hamish and Amy who just wants to get her MBA and not be bothered by Hamish. But he certainly bothers her in more ways than one. This story is from Hamish and Amy's point of view with appearances of other characters from the Shopping series. It was like catching up with crazy friends. There were some funny mishaps mixed in with a family that truly loves each other even though some of them are hard to handle. These characters certainly keep you smiling.

[Elizabeth Hillebrand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazingly funny!!!

This was a great laugh and had me smiling most of the time. Really enjoyable, but I wish Amy and Hamish story was all done in one book and not three books. I really needed that happily ever after

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this book is a perfect "Shopping for" book written around Thanksgiving with the Jacoby -McCormick families. It features Amy and Hamish who have you guessing will they ever get together with all of the flirting going on! It starts with Hamish being stuck in the US instead of heading home to Scotland, Amy getting a phone call from her dad saying her mother was at the hospital with a broken leg and boy how that happened had me laughing. With Marie not able to handle the Thanksgiving preparations a challenge is set for the Jacoby daughters to do Thanksgiving better then their mother. Are they up for it? Can Marie leave them alone and not manage the preparations from her wheelchair? Will Terry and Carol give in to the heat they feel for each other perhaps in a future book? I found myself laughing out loud at the scene with the cat, dog and cooked turkeys along with the live turkey in the yard. It can only happen to these families! I will state that this book ends in such a way that there is another book coming and I am so looking forward to reading that one as well. Julie Kent did not disappoint with this one. I want to thank Julia Kent for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance of its release.

[RuHa75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, I don’t even know where to start! I have not read or listened to books by Julia Kent´s before, but I will change that. I have seen these series pop up and book friends recommended these due to the excellent writing, narration and comedy effect. Well, I 100% agree, the book leaves no eyes dry!

SHOPPING FOR A TURKEY is the first part of the “Shopping for a Highlander” series. It is the story of Amy and Hamish, their perfectly imperfect families and titillating attraction for each other! I could not stop listening or stop laughing. Julia wrote a comedic gem and please be aware to not eat or drink while you read/listen to this book as I found myself in non-stop fits of laughter! Amy & Hamish seemingly can’t stand each other after meeting years ago at Amy´s sister’s wedding but circumstances put them together at Thanksgiving and what a fun one it is indeed. I loved the cultural differences and how Hamish questioned and dealt with them plus the way he got a rise out of Amy is hilarious, don´t worry though Amy just gave as good as she got! This Thanksgiving celebration is not one to be missed because buckle up for a laughing marathon! Amy & Hamish´s story continues in "SHOPPING FOR A HIGHLANDER"

The narration by Emma Wilder & Shane East is to "laugh-die" for and another reason this book is a barrel of laughs or many barrels of laughs. They have fantastic comedic timing and the way they bring the puns across and portray each character is just brilliant! They are the perfect choice for Hamy 😜

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

laughed loudly throughout most of it

I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard through an entire book. The giggles would creep up and before you knew it, I had dropped my device from laughing so hard. I have missed these characters and this world so much. I can’t wait to see what the next book in this series brings. KU gold.

[Sue Ouellet-Cofsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

There may come a time that I get tired of saying the same thing over and over again but this is not that time. Not yet. Julia Kent still has the ability to have me guffawing out loud (you can ask my husband lol...he had to deal with the fall out), scratching my head because "hello" this is the Jacoby family so why would I completely understand. What I loved most about this story is that it threw our Scottish hero in the middle of a time honored holiday celebration where while nothing goes right, everything FEELS right to Hamish. Amy knows what she wants...so does her body. Her mind says no to Hamish, but her body is revving up. Julia Kent always finds a way to insert little bits of her own personality into the characters and ALWAYS finds a way to make the story about more than just the usual comedy. In the end, Hamish learns what the holiday is truly about. Did I love the ending? Not in the least, because I wanted more....much more and sigh...I'll have to wait but I look forward to more in the Shopping for a Highlander series.

[Laura Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 3.5⭐️/5 ; Spice: 2🌶️/5

I stumbled across this novella while searching for the elusive Thanksgiving holiday romance - and it ticked SO MANY boxes. This was a spin off from Julia Kent’s Shopping for a Billionaire series, and the start of its own series (Shopping for a Highlander). Learning all of the names of this colorful extended family was a lot to fit in to a 9-chapter novel, but in a way it added to that experience of joining a big crazy family for a holiday (coming from a big crazy family myself). That said, I did not have any issues diving right into the storyline of our main characters, Amy and Hamish.

Kent’s writing style is so conversational and relaxed, and it reads like a story you would retell your friends over a beer/wine/coffee/beverage-of-choice.

First, Amy’s mom breaks her leg 2 days before Thanksgiving (in a sex-swing accident, of all things), and Amy and her family, friends, and neighbors must come together to rescue Thanksgiving. Enter Hamish, the cousin of Amy’s brother in law and professional soccer player, in town for endorsement work and invited over for the holiday. The shenanigans that ensue are both ridiculous and yet totally believable.

There are adorable toddlers, mischievous pets, a fire, yoga, and a wild turkey…. And the cherry on top of the whole thing is the banter between Amy and Hamish. While there were no actual spicy scenes in the story (but LOTS of risqué jokes), I still gave it 2 🌶️ due to the very obvious tension building between the MCs.

I will definitely be checking out the next book, and going back to read the SFAB series to get to see kore of this crazy family!

[Didi Ps · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Broke her leg? That’s the kiss of death fer footie players like me.”

“Then don’t have kinky sex & you’ll be just fine.”

“I’d rather give up ma leg than give up kinky good stuff.”

If you want to learn more than you’ve ever wanted to know about Marie & Jason’s bedroom activities, this is the book for you. But... this book not really about them (or just them, that is).

Amy ends up writing to Hammish by accident about her parents'... um... accident. Sadly, with Amy, her face is a Scottish mood ring when it comes to him, so it’s clear she has a thing for him.... & her impression of him from the wedding they attended was that he seemed to be a bit of a Mr. Infectious Disease Lab...

Agnes & Corrine are also back... <3 these ladies...

& Petunia dies... How sad...

Then there’s the scene where a turkey is violated (given a prostate exam), moaning about positions & cramps for cooking said turkey, condom wine lube, tur-duck-en - oops, I meant tur-dog-en, a turkey hostage situation...

<3 this book... Can’t wait for Shopping for a Highlander to come out & continue the adventure...

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bibliophile Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar novella set in Ms. Kent's "Shopping For" series!

This funny, fast, and slow burn of a novella is just an absolute tease for those readers (like me) that are waiting for Hamish and Amy's story!

Hijinks again ensue at the Jacoby house for Thanksgiving. 

Poor Hamish struggles with his knowledge of the American holiday and struggles to control his flirtations with the prickly Amy Jacoby. 

Amy is overinformed and not from legit sources of Hamish and his playboy lifestyle. Her brain and heart want to hate him, but her body is saying go baby go!

It was wonderful to see all the key players in the series come together and I love the little hints of future storylines that hopefully will be coming!

I wanted this story to go on and on and cannot wait for Hamish and Amy to get their own story!

[Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥



A couple of things you need to know about this book:

- It is part of a series and ends in a cliffhanger.
- The slow-burn romance spans across books, so if you are in the mood for spicy scenes, either pick something else or wait until the series is complete.

That said, this book made me laugh out loud and look forward to Thanksgiving. (A great start for a holiday curmudgeon like me.)

Shopping for a Turkey is set in the Shopping series by Julia Kent, and while it involves characters from the other books, this book can still be a standalone.

Hamish McCormick is stuck in the United States for Thanksgiving. His advertising gig fell through, and he refuses to spend what he considers highway robbery for coach seats to Scotland. Without a choice, he's doomed to spend Thanksgiving with his American relatives, including their in-laws, the Jacobies.

Amy Jacoby is also stuck with her family for Thanksgiving. She and her two sisters must step up to prep Thanksgiving dinner after their mother was injured from an incident that I am not spoiling for y'all.

If you want Pride and Prejudice with a Thanksgiving spin, this is your jam. Similar to Mr. Darcy, Hamish keeps up a façade with people outside his family and friends that has folks assuming that he is a vapid womanizing soccer (Sorry Hamish) player. In his limited interactions with Amy, he unfortunately comes off as his outside persona, leaving Amy to keep a healthy distance from him. They and their families are incredibly entertaining, and there are great LOL moments in this book.

My one frustration is the book's pace. While the comedy and relatable characters kept me going, there were moments I felt the book just dragged on. Despite that, this is still a funny, light-hearted read that I would recommend.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. **

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 13% with this exchange:
“Car or helicopter?” “Excuse me?” “Which do you prefer? Anterdec will send whichever.” “Which one is driven by a hot woman?”

I’m from town next to Mendon, and I work in Amherst. This setting was not enough to convince me to keep reading.

Also! This frustration is very specific to my experience, but it’s really irritating me. After I DNF’d, I searched the ebook for Mendon & Amherst to see if they mention anything else about these places I know well. I learned that in the preview of the next book, they’re at Amy’s MBA graduation from Isenberg at UMass. We learn that Hamish has “been coaching” a youth soccer summer program at Amherst College. Undergraduate and graduate program UMass Commencements are in mid-to-mid/late-May while summer programs at Amherst do not start until after Commencement and Reunion and the steam shutdown, aka JUNE!!! Not May!

[Taylor Arterburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just not for me. I thought it sounded like a fun, silly goofy time for thanksgiving (made even better with the Scottish love interest), but it was just too much cheese & cringe for my tastes.

And you have to read onto book 2 to see if anything even happens with the characters? Why not just make the book longer?

It felt like those Instagram or tik tok ads where you get the first few chapters free (yet they’re usually long) and so much ridiculous stuff happens that you keep reading or a tik tok story that you keep clicking through because you can’t believe stuff like that happens to people, only for things to FINALLY get to the part you were curious about and they hit you with the “subscribe to find out the rest”

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's never a dull moment with the Jacoby family, Add in the addition of the McCormick men and madcap shenanigans abound. Especially with the chemistry arcing between Amy Jacoby and the latest McCormick, soccer star Hamish.

Between a bedroom mishap, pilfered turkeys, and the expected teasing between family members, this is a great time to either meet or catch up with these amazing characters. And once you visit this world, you'll never want to leave!

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally what I expect from Julia Kent’s books. This is a spin off of the Shopping series. Amy is Shannon’s sister and Hamish is Declan’s cousin. Hijinks with the turkeys, pets, a sex swing, a broken leg and all the insanity that you’d expect to find when Shannon’s mother is involved.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait! What?! That's the end?! And just that teaser chapter to go with?!


I think, JK managed to put everything that my European mind thinks Turkey Day is into this book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the ebook. Listening to Shane East and Emma Wilder bring Hamish and Amy to life was pure joy. I found myself laughing out loud even more than when I read the ebook.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was so bad i forgot to update that i finished it yesterday

feel like literally all anyone talked or thought about was sex even though there was barely even a kiss in the story

[Linda Dossett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of my laugh out loud moments while reading, are due to Julia Kent and her wicked, fun, twisty storylines. This one is at the top of that list. I have loved all the “Shopping” books, this Turkey extravaganza reminds us what is best about this holiday and of course, the addition of the Jacoby’s own brand of family entertainment. Grab an adult libation, put your feet up and enjoy!

[Melanie Milburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hamy and Amy and not one but two turkeys, one broken leg from THAT kind of accident, Chuffy and Chuckles and practically the whole cast of characters from Shopping books past—oh my! Oh so much fun is to be had reading Hamish and Amy’s first book as the featured characters—you’ve got to get this one!

[Texastwang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enuendos Galore

A little more enuendos than I'm used to but skip over that, and it was quite funny. I haven't decided if it's worth the next book or not.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely frustrated. The book really had no ending. It just stopped. I guess would say it was more of a cliffhanger. You have to buy the next book to see if Amy stops being contemptuous and judgmental regarding Hamish's character.

I guess you can tell that I didn't care much for this book. I take that back. I didn't care much for Amy's character. The usual ridiculous behavior that goes on with the 2 families was just fine.

I could live with Shane East's narration. It sounded good to me, but then I have no clue what Scottish dialogue or accents should sound like. On the other hand, I couldn't figure out why the Amy character sounded like she did. The narrator managed to get whiny, nasally, childish, and petulant all rolled up into Amy's voice. Maybe she was supposed to sound like that.

There was no romance, no buildup of sexual tension between Hamish and Amy. Only Amy being unpleasant, prudish, and condescending. She seemed to make assumptions about Hamish's character without having a conversation with him. Admittedly he was a flirt, but didn't understand why a little communication was off the table.

Since I already bought the 2nd book, I can only hope this story gets better.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The end felt more like the end of an episode on TV. Like this was the Thanksgiving episode. Nothing really resolved, just moved the longer plot line a bit further. Was I only one confused with all the character names flying in and keeping them all straight? I guess I should have read the others with the first sister and maybe it would have been easier.

[Phoenix · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up because there aren't a lot of Thanksgiving romances. This was funny although I wish I'd known that it was a prequel because there is not even an HFN. Also, there's a reference to Elon Musk that does NOT age well given how quickly he's run Twitter to the ground.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the ebook. Listening to Shane East and Emma Wilder bring Hamish and Amy to life was pure joy. I found myself laughing out loud even more than when I read the ebook.